Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-rich Plasma in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Due to loss of function and intolerable pain associated with Osteoarthritis (OA), this condition is regarded as one of the major causes of disability, worldwide. Aging and obesity are regarded as two fundamental causes of knee OA. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the efficacy of hyaluronic acid in compression [z1] in patients with knee OA. A systematic web-based search was conducted in Cochrane Library and MEDLINE to identify articles published before December 2014. English articles with available abstracts, relevant to the subject of the study, were retrieved. Moreover, manual search was performed in reference lists of the articles. Two commentators independently reviewed and assessed the inclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of articles and extracted the data. The evaluated articles were published during 2011-2014. All studies were conducted on adult patients with knee OA. Overall, 745 patients were evaluated in five studies. More than 100 participants were enrolled in four studies and 90 patients were included in only one study. Based on the findings, the application of single-dose platelet-rich plasma is safe, useful and cost-effective in patients with knee OA.